HYDERABAD. Marking a momentous milestone for India’s defence sector, the indigenous “UGRAM” 7.62×51 mm battle rifle has successfully cleared key tests conducted by the Indian Army and the Ministry of Home Affairs. Developed within a record-breaking timeframe of just 100 days, this state-of-the-art weapon system is now actively moving toward procurement by several Central Armed Police Forces, signaling a major transition away from foreign imports for small arms.
The breakthrough is the result of a highly collaborative effort between Telangana-based defence startup Dvipa Defence and the Defence Research and Development Organisation’s Armament Research and Development Establishment. The partnership managed to fast-track the rifle from the initial design phase to a fully functional combat weapon system in a little over three months, executing one of the fastest weapon development timelines seen in the country’s defence manufacturing history.
According to official sources, the UGRAM platform successfully completed the Indian Army’s General Staff Qualitative Requirement trials. This comprehensive process involves subjecting the hardware to extreme field evaluations across diverse climatic environments, ensuring absolute operational reliability whether in freezing high-altitude regions or scorching desert zones. Additionally, the weapon system met all operational parameters during rigorous Ministry of Home Affairs Board trials, validating its fitness for domestic security deployments.
Sibu Joseph, the Managing Director of Dvipa Defence, highlighted the company’s rapid evolution since obtaining its manufacturing licence in 2021. Backed by a full-fledged production facility sprawling across more than 13 acres of land allotted by the Telangana government in Hyderabad, the firm has quickly established itself as a robust hub for indigenous small arms design.
“Our journey began with the manufacturing licence in 2021,” Joseph stated. “Today, we have developed over 100 indigenous weapon systems and variants, with UGRAM emerging as our flagship platform. We remain committed to building world-class defence products in India for Indian security forces.”
Technically, the UGRAM battle rifle stands out for its modern design and operational agility. It features a reliable gas-operated rotating bolt system, a configuration favoured globally for its balance of heavy firepower and mechanical endurance. Crucially, the firearm weighs less than four kilogrames, minimising physical fatigue for troops during extended deployments, and boasts a highly effective combat range of 500 metres.
With both defence and home ministry evaluations completed, the focus has shifted toward mass deployment. The rifle has completed exhaustive reliability and endurance testing, positioning it for immediate procurement by frontline organisations, including the Central Reserve Police Force, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, the Sashastra Seema Bal, and the elite National Security Guard.
The successful testing of the UGRAM platform highlights Hyderabad’s emergence as a crucial hub for defence innovation and private sector manufacturing. Beyond the core battle rifle, Dvipa Defence is utilising the UGRAM architecture to develop a complete family of indigenous weapons. Their current pipeline includes the U-19 sub-machine gun, the U-45 assault rifle, ultra-light machine guns, and specialised weaponised anti-drone systems.
This rapid domestic development directly aligns with India’s long-term defence policy aimed at achieving self-reliance in military hardware. By demonstrating that private enterprises can partner with state institutions to deliver battle-ready equipment in record time, the UGRAM project sets a clear template for modernising the country’s security architecture while substantially cutting down multi-billion dollar foreign arms import bills.
